Blind setting rivets are used to fasten sheet metal work pieces or the like together while requiring access to only one side. These rivets have been in use for many years and are well known to the art. However, application of these rivets may at times be cumbersome. For example, in many applications, special jigs must be used to maintain exact alignment of the work pieces from the time the hole is drilled until the rivet can be applied.
Because of these and other limitations, self drilling blind setting rivets were developed. Rayburn (U.S. Pat. No. 3,750,518), Murray et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 3,935,786), Rosenthal (U.S. Pat. No. 4,920,833), Shinjo (U.S. Pat. No. 4,998,853) and Stenberg et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,344,267) disclose self-drilling blind setting rivet type fasteners. These rivets all utilize specialized drill heads which may be difficult to manufacture and thus expensive. Further, they may leave a burr on the outer layer of the work piece materials. This burr may prevent proper seating of the rivet as it is applied. Improper seating may cause a weak joint. Szayer et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 4,990,042) discloses a self-drilling rivet having deburring ears to remove burrs during the drilling operation. However, the Szayer drill bit removes work piece material to create a hole for the rivet shank. This removed material may fall within an enclosed area causing a possible nuisance or hazard. Further, this material could be more efficiently used to increase application strength. A more desirable blind setting rivet would be self-tapping (using a screw tip) instead of self drilling (using a drill bit). This self-tapping rivet would leave uniform excurvations which would increase application strength. Additionally, a self-tapping rivet would be less expensive and easier to manufacture.
The prior art has also failed to teach a blind setting rivet which may permanently fasten sheet metal work pieces or the like together and also removably attach other work pieces or components. For example, the above named patents are representative of typical blind setting rivets. These rivets do not contemplate a means of removably attaching other work pieces or components. Tsay et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,297,909) discloses a self-drilling expansion screw having a threaded portion onto which a nut may be screwed. However, the Tsay patent describes an expansion screw not a rivet. This expansion screw is designed to be anchored in concrete or the like and is incapable of permanently fastening one or more sheet metal work pieces together.
Consequently, it would be advantageous to provide a blind setting rivet, which may be self-tapping, capable of permanently fastening one or more sheet metal work pieces or the like together while also providing a means to removably attach other work pieces, components or the like.